So, how was your Valentine's Day? Me? I had an anti-Valentine's day at my local bar with the ghost of Albert Camus, an existential crisis, and a decent bottle of wine. Here's what occurred to the four of us while we were angsting out.

I've made the point before that our economy seems especially good at mass-producing toxic junk. Food that malnourishes us, entertainment that bores us, 'news' that isn't, finance that blows up our economy, et cetera. So somewhere into the bottom half of the bottle, I found myself sinking into the well-worn mental ruts that are probably familiar to anyone who has ever hated Valentine's Day: how it's a suspiciously consumerist celebration of cheesy pink-tinged coupledom that exists for the sole purpose of selling pink (or blue) fuzzy (or smooth) disposable crap (or overpriced blood diamonds). Smile winningly, pledge your troth, and log into the intertubes to breathlessly proclaim 'Life goal achieved!!!!<3!!'

Throw The Art of War at me if you must, waterboard me, glue my eyes wide open and dress me in one of
[Published in NonProfitBlogs - Read the original article]